my foolish
heart
for August Kleinzahler
Wedding Song
to assay
radiance, speak
or sing:
song falls
as seeds
or spores
and form
is
graceful
for
what else
remains?
– opening
inward, love
remains:
… speak …
articulate,
(sing
of)
what
remains:
when … song
… the mind …
hearing …
clear
song …
beginning –
air
trace
grace
arising
from figures
of speech
– song
of water
and time
illuminating
all
eyes
century’s end ghazal
frost was, shades were, spectral, grey
whitish washed buff with black speckles
sun weakening
orange-buff, covert
from a woodbine-tangled, exposed-
topped lilac, easily missed, a voice
direct and low, sharp
wind’s flight through gloom
frail and thin and gaunt and small
hunger and fear and wind-beruffled
after a short pause
varied, clear-toned, strident
winter’s marked repetition
not strictly arranged in verses
over hardly-darkening ling
desolate song
a small alba
white the moon
white the wine
white the light
white the leaf
white the rock
white the bark
white the stone
white the dawn
*
pond
the pond
old pond
old-pond
an old pond
the old pond
ancient pond
an ancient pond
the ancient pond
ageing pond
a lonely pond
the quiet pond
frog pond
Afghan ghazal
wave of the long grass
as the wind shakes it
small dance of juniper
on the brecciated ridge
on limestone conspicuously abundant
old shells littering the ground
jewel-cases under stones
highly polished and heliciform
on walls in worm-burrows
in flood-plain exuviæ and silt
plethora of their remnants
hard glossy and polished
pondering foot of steppes
think slow and act slower
ascend in thin light
perfect and complicated
unconsidered but not lost
the connectives not seen
refer to their tiny skyline
distance opens up
o for the principle of hope
in the diaries of these snails
sound shanty for bob cobbing
badcall
balta
eagamoll
eorsa
fara
fidra
fuiary
gigalum
guillamon
huney
lamba
luchruban
mealaster
mullagrach
nibon
noss
oldany
oxna
ristol
samphrey
scarba
soyea
switha
texa
treshnish
tubhard
uyea
uynarey
vementry
Three Misreadings of Horatian Odes
A Misreading of Horace, Odes I. 29
your heart on ghazis et acrem militiam
inglorious you stop non before paras
non horribilique as of money
trade aggrandisement and loot
outside ivory gates the economic burning
through sponso necato faces of the misery
openly cry on television mani- pulated
parti-coloured or otherwise
will neget arduis carrying sagittas
the tender rivers may see the stars
and stripes keeping totalitarian swords
reverti montibus ownership erect
you we once thought saner
deaf to the popular flow
‘facts’ mutare forsake the Muses
for shields nobilis books in dust
A Misreading of Horace, Odes I. 35
Necessity, Goddess who canst, precedes to arms!
O wonder present madder conducted
to our perishable bodies
ingratiating blandishments of office-seekers
you to pauper ambit dominate
preche pretty to our houses
of barbarorum of tyranni
et ferox with hard fierce their head
attributes particularly addressed to the eyes
incapable of distinctness with a careless flick
kick over that marching column
the edifice of society itself vulnerable
the attribution of an abstraction
Necessitas Securitas and Pax are leaning on pillars
the sentient polygon “ad weapon”
you white Spes et rare Fides
fraudulent friends veiled cloth
houses share the suffering
nor quit ne fall / the state’s tall
liar an unpoetical word
like dried shit
you serve Caesarem
in we ultimos orbis Britannos
poets cannot have misinterpreted
quid in hard refugimus lasts
venturing on something forbidden
no piety left untouched
o utinam is new facts
hope yet may draw arms
quit tyranni blunt with excessive use
A Misreading of Horace, Odes IV. 14
quae concern of citizens honorum
afflicted in quotidian affairs
abstraction taken concrete form in troops
nuper quid Marte will not tire
inplacidum foreign nationals et
arces Alpibus milite on high
mox grave major (grave)
through rent clouds your duty
speaking to you today ruinis
through language and grammar
at my request south winds scourge
the military capability per ignis
ut barbarorum the perils
horrendamque et war
the conflict et extremo metendo
quo die quo die your country
those sacrifices are laudemque
et optatum massive brutality
imperiis decus this commitment
Medusque missiles on the
te rapidus Tigris (Tigris) violence
necessary dominaeque murderers
qui terrorism as an attack
our victory qui remotis.
You have my shaken armis.
foreign policy (a performance text)
History [is] the slaughter-bench at which the happiness of peoples, the wisdom of states and the virtue of individuals have been victimised – Hegel
• We are focussed on Afghanistan. We are making every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The weaponry that we are using is as targeted as possible. We are very lucky to have the armed services that we do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a propaganda b
attle. I mean, you’re not dealing with reasonable people; you’re not dealing with people you can negotiate with. Our quarrel is not with the ordinary people. • We are focussed on Afghanistan. We are making every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The weaponry that we are using is as targeted as possible. We are slaughter-bench lucky to have the armed services that we do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a propaganda slaughter-bench. I mean, slaughter-bench are not dealing with reasonable people; slaughter-bench are not dealing with people slaughter-bench can negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary people. • Slaughter-bench are focussed on Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are making every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are using is as targeted as possible. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench lucky to have the armed services that slaughter-bench do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a propaganda slaughter-bench. I mean, slaughter-bench not dealing slaughter-bench reasonable people; slaughter-bench are not dealing slaughter-bench people slaughter-bench can negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary people. • Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench on Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are using is as targeted as slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench lucky to have the armed services that slaughter-bench do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. I slaughter-bench, slaughter-bench not dealing slaughter-bench reasonable slaughter-bench; slaughter-bench are not dealing slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench can negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary slaughter-bench. • Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench on Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench every slaughter-bench effort to avoid slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench is as targeted as slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench to slaughter-bench the armed slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. Nobody was in any slaughter-bench. This is a slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. I slaughter-bench, slaughter-bench not slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench; slaughter-bench are not slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary slaughter-bench. • Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench every slaughter-bench effort to slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench is as slaughter-bench as slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench to slaughter-bench the armed slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench was in slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. This is a slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench slaughter-bench, slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench; slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench with. Slaughter-bench slaughter-bench is slaughter-bench with the slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. • (from, and to, Tony Blair)
white
for Robert Ryman
faded leg
creamy journey
colourless travel
ashen compass
pallid orbit
pearly tour
dull desire
light enduring
gleaming long
lustreless genesis
opalescent spring
candid provenance
immaculate authority
timeless source
creamy ending
snowy rota
anaemic life
pearly finish
pallid clause
colourless period
milky model
lustreless citizen
blanched pattern
ageless paradigm
light subordinate
fading cóntent
shiny subject
bleached pace
creamy tempo
faded gauge
hueless tenor
decoloured cost
pale ratio
pearly rate
bright nexus
achromatic yoke
colourless chain
milky splice
dull detail
anaemic link
niveous moment
leucous time
achromatistous hour
colourless oddity
bright ace
gleaming original
pearly wafer
candid docket
snowy flake
immaculate card
creamy pawn
faded automaton
pale catspaw
opalescent gadget
etiolated chase
candid implement
immaculate tool
clear crust
pallid cortex
ashy chassis
clear jacket
gleaming stone
opaline framework
milky conch
spotless crust
candid superstratum
ashen hull
pearly bomb
lustreless pod
light carapace
bleached shell
immaculate trend
dull fringe
creamy boundary
shiny incline
albescent brink
colourless bend
snowy brim
blanched verge
toneless quorum
colourless quantum
hueless quota
anaemic tip
pallid culmination
unpigmented check
ashen frontier
opaline crown
faded edge
gleaming margin
spotless condition
candid limit
dull diet
pale form
creamy congress
milky enclosure
albescent protocol
snowy summit
shiny synod
pearly law
clear watch
etiolated chronometer
shiny clock
creamy assemblage
light expedient
pallid assembly
ashen haunt
bright ploy
candid concurrence
achromatic dodge
snowy wile
fading concentration
bleached ruse
anaemic device
pale shift
opalescent artifice
opaline resort
colourless stain
ashy signature
blanched initial
pearly spoil
niveous feature
toneless level
lustreless point
faded cross
gleaming blemish
lactescent scar
ashen prominence
pallid distinction
immaculate smear
spotless blot
unpigmented wrinkle
decoloured scratch
fading reserve
etiolated brand
bleached weal
shiny score
milky pitch
hueless stigma
opaline trait
opalescent tarnish
creamy attribute
albescent welt
pale smudge
anaemic pock
snowy flaw
pallid lineament
light note
bright mark
clear spot
Taliesin
i.m. Ric Caddel
conning difference heart
bright as a pronoun
no false praise singing
truthbread-provider
edging a swift coverlet
you sing page tutor
learn to open a curtain
o vainly coffered stray
offered honeyed singing
at some point aired
call for wine patterned
ardent more than any
sing keening core fact
hateful the seeing
farewell to Caddel
caught light and cogent
son’s shade by kirkgate
way work husbanded
and smile late allotted
poured lettered knowledge
spoken technical language
tantamount to birdsong
caught crux superlative
while sound mirrored
words heard collided
not strong but confident
home love near a garden
knack of jewelled movement
in fresh terms braiding
last property overthrown
educate deep internet
familiar translation kernel
yes care for emptied nest
pleasant dust-stook gaffered
endeavour often violet
made ginnelled and ganging
despite chair and committee
allowed candour conversing
caught in mountain bracken
good yarn rattling
learned truant deserving
cornered rocked and gunning
lyric library visitation
eyesore leviathan leeching
perfect song in the morning
reflecting power lying
rain fall on the igloo
everyone speaking in red
prized byte deck burning
clear light in the kenning
way after the old Welsh of the Canu Taliesin